The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-19
NOVELTIES FOR CHRISTMAS.
The Booming Holiday Trade in New
York.

New YORK. Dec. 1.-THE great shops
and bazars of New York are now busy night
and day with the holiday trade. There is a
perfect boom in lanterns for Christmas
presents. Those that admired most were
of bronze and held inside fairy lamp. The
effect of lantern is enhanced If it hang
from an iron or bronze lantern aTm,p as
they are called, which are securely fastened
to the wall Another very pretty and novel
article for present is tall wrought iron
stand upon which rests a copper oil lamp.
Over the lamp, suspended by an iron chain
or arm, hangs copper tea kettle. These
are used by ladies who themselves serve the
tea TO their guests on their afternoons" at
home. There is craze for iron in every
form for decoration; the tall iron lamps are
now considered in better taste than the brass
ones Very handsome wrought iron wood
boxes come that remind one of the famous
iron chest of 'Sir Edward Mortimer" 1t
is these things that help to make up the
individuality of a home. / cannot help con-
trasting the stiff-looking parlors of my girl
hood with the pleasant drawing rooms Of
to-day. The former were usually furnished
with red or gold, sometimes both, brocatelle,
every piece of furniture covered exactly
alike, and all set squarely against the wall,
with huge carved table in the centre of
the room The window draperies were
looped up stiffly with cords and tassels, and
the part of the drapery that touched the
floor was laid out upon the carpet in stiff
folds. No one dare go to tie window for
fear of disarrangisg some OF these wonder
full folds A similar lambrequin orna-
mented the mantelpiece, and heavy gilt
cornices ran over the top OF pier glass ami
curtains. Parlors were seldom used, and /,
for one child, was glad they were not used
any oftener, they were alwaysso depressing.
How different is the studied disorder of to-
day! We have gone back TO the colonial
days, and all that was good then we have
allied with modern invention. The hearth
blazes with bright andirons and cheerful
fire The rugs look warm and luxurious,
the chairs and tables are at right angles,
sofas are drawn up in front of the fire, and
to take cup of tea at a three-cornered
table in such room, with good company,
is positively fascinating.
Thermometers are all the rage, and range
all the way from 25c. to several hundred
dollars. That seems a large price to pay for
a thermometer, doesn't it! The man in the
store showed me one the cost of which was
S400 He had sold one just like it for a we'd
ding present. II was the entire tusk of an
elephant-a large one, too. 1t was beauti-
fully carved and polished. A slice of the
ivory was cut off to make a fiat foundation
on which to place the mercurial tube. The
figures to indicate the degree of heat were
OF silver, set down into the ivory. The tusk
was further ornamented by silver ring by
which it was to be hung up. Gold bronze
thermometers in the form Of a sword. and
as large as Il regular sword, are a novelty.
The hits are of the finest cloisonne enamel.
All the new designs are very large. A gilt
truncheon with vine in cloisoEne is very
beautiful and expensive design. Another,
tI,a ,ap1t.iprN 1f n plnpk lOny
ordinary walking stick, is Of silver; the bell
at the end Of the pendulum is a tiny Ian
tern of silver with colored glass sides. In
this is placed tiny candle at night, and the
effect is very pretty.
EVELYN BAKER HARvIER.